The Life and Times of Lin Beifong
by samararh3
Summary: This story consists of multiple chapters that are meant to follow Lin's background, and how she became the person that she is. If you like fanfiction that is currently accurate to the plot of the show, you will probably like these stories. Enjoy. Please COMMENT! I WANT FEEDBACK and CRITICISM! Rated T for mild violence and adult-ness. I do not own LoK or ATLA
1. The Reason

Lin

The streets were dark below the twinkling light from the windows of Republic City's looming sky scrapers. Dim lamps glowed at the end of each block, yet somehow made no difference to the darkness surrounding them. Between the grey buildings, the crowds from the afternoon and evening had since cleared from the road, save a few stragglers who kept to themselves as they journeyed home.

One of these late-night travelers, the newly appointed Chief of Police Lin Beifong, exited the police station and faced toward the direction of the bay. She could only see a sliver of black water from her location; the sea blocked from view by town square and the park.

Lin strode slowly through the quiet city, relishing the thought of lying in bed and falling asleep that night. Tenzin would most likely be asleep; though he usually waited up until she arrived on Air Temple Island, he had endured a very long day disagreeing with the council.

Lin stuffed her hands into her coat pockets as a frigid breeze wafted past her, chilling her core. It had proved to be a good idea to leave her metal-bending uniform in her office; the armor would have been unbearable in this cold, and the last thing she wanted after the tiring day she had was to feel uncomfortable.

As she passed through town square and the tall statue of Zuko, she wondered briefly where the former fire lord could be in the world. He had been traveling in recent years and after the death of Avatar Aang, letters ran scarce. She made a mental note to ask Tenzin if his mother had heard anything.

Lin yawned and brushed a few strands of black hair from her eyes. She smiled, seeing the island in the distance as she walked across the grass in the park.

All she had to do was walk alongside the water of the bayside where rancid garbage and various sea junk accumulated under the nooks of the boardwalk, then bend an oblong rock into the ground which uplifted a long earth bridge that spanned from the city to the island. The famous Toph, Lin's mother, was never keen on flying or sailing. She crafted this simple structure so earth-benders, but mostly her, could make the cross without the inconvenience of having to wait for a sky bison, or get seasick from a boat…

As Lin neared the area where she would hop down to the rocks next to the water, she decided that in interest of a nicer view, and a less-horrid stench, she would take the boardwalk instead, and then jump down to the location of the bridge when she arrived there. It was much nicer up there, atop the wooden planks of the boardwalk where she could see the exquisite landscape instead of the animals of the darkness that inhabited the ground below. Why did she never take this route? Tenzin… He always insisted that when she walked home alone at night, she take the path of solid ground so she could feel the vibrations of the earth, which unfortunately became a normal habit. The boardwalk was made of wood, and although she could still feel, her earth-bending sight became blurred and fuzzy because it was not as strong when she walked on certain surfaces. On a late night like this one, when the haze from the city and darkness intermingled, seeing with her feet was the only way to get a clear view of her surroundings. Lin disregarded Tenzin's warning; it was far too cold to bother with the uncomfortable precautions of wearing her protective uniform, or to take the path where she could see more clearly.

The sound of twigs cracking and a few stones tumbling down the rocks by the bayside stopped Lin in her tracks. She spun around, ready to attack. After being an officer for so long, Lin always expected any suspicious sound to be the sign of an ambush.

"Who's there?" She called out into the darkness. "Show yourself!"

A quite large spider-rat bolted out of the shadows and scampered away onto the grass.

Lin sighed out of frustration and dropped her arms to her sides, pursing her lips at the annoyance that a stupid little animal could scare her like that. She turned around, and continued on.

Ahead of her was the spot where the wide boardwalk intersected with the fishing dock that stretched out over the water. At the joint where the two docks met, she would ascend to her destination.

The sound of an object slicing through the air made her heart skip a beat. Her eyes widened, and in an instant tucked and rolled her body forward onto the wooden planks, the blade of ice just missing her body. She grunted and up-righted herself quickly, assuming her bending stance.

Three masked figures wearing dark clothing sprinted toward her from each side with attacks; the water-bender and fire-bender in front of her on the boardwalk by the bay, and the earth-bender to her right on the park side. Lin's heart was pounding, her eyes darting from one person to the other.

"Stand down!" Lin shouted, standing her ground as she bent sheets of rock from the park-side to create temporary shields.

The tallest attacker produced a bright flame which plumed forward, the heat grazing the side of her neck as she dodged the shot.

"I'm warning you!" She yelled as she lifted her head again.

The three benders continued advancing, causing Lin to be on the defensive, backing further and further onto the dock over the water. Lin blocked every attack they threw at her, but she was outnumbered and at her greatest disadvantage. When it finally occurred to her that she was being pushed away from her element, she blindly sent a few boulders from the shore flying in their direction. One large boulder luckily caught the fire-bender off guard, knocking him onto the grass. One down…

Lin focused her attention on the earth-bender who was within feet of her, bending a rock onto a condensed and sharp weapon. With one swift motion, she pivoted and threw her weight in his direction, blasting the material in his hands and launching him backward into a tree in the park. Two down…

The water-bender, clearly the best fighter out of the three, continued with a plethora of simultaneous hosing and ice attacks. Lin jumped and ducked, dodging each one as she sprinted forward to get out of the danger zone of the dock. Just as she was about to reach the security of land, water splashed between the cracks of the dock's planks, enveloped her boots and froze, causing her to fall elbows first. Lin kicked free of the ice, and as she stood she saw the previously fallen earth-bender getting ready to strike again. Raising her palms quickly into the air, she bent a column from the earth beneath his feet that launched him high into the night sky.

In the second that Lin was distracted, another ice blade slung through the air directly at the right side of her torso, slicing through her overcoat and cutting deep into her skin.

"Ah!" Lin doubled over at the shock of the agonizing pain and began retreating. The fire-bender returned to the scene and produced a flame from his fingertips that resembled a serrated blade, and then held it up to her neck. He lowered Lin to her knees, her chest heaving unsteadily and her heart pounding. She felt the heat pinpointed just under her chin; if she extended even an inch, she would get burned. Lin exhaled through her nose and gulped, raising her head ever so slightly.

"Wh-what do you want?" she whispered, trying very hard to only move her lips. The two standing before her exchanged a nod and waved over the earth-bender who was limping toward them from the park. The blood from her gash dripped onto her leg, feeling warm as it seeped through the fabric of her pants. She closed her eyes tightly then opened them again, starting to feel a little light-headed. Trying to think straight, she thought about how she could identify them; she had to get them to talk in order for her to recognize their voices later on.

"So, what do you plan to do with me?"

The water-bender murmured something under his breath to the limping man who seemed to pull a rock out of thin air. Lin's eyes widened, watching the man grip it hard in his hand.

"No! Wait!"

But before she could say anything more, she was knocked on the side of her head with a sharp blow from the stone. Her eyes rolled back and her vision blurred their figures. The man in front of her retracted his fire and backed away. At that moment, she fell onto her side and lost consciousness.

Lin awoke lying by the harbor, a searing pain in her side and throbbing behind her temple. Her eyes fluttered open and once she could focus on her surroundings, she attempted to lift her head. When that didn't work out too well, Lin looked around, relieved to see that she was alone in the dark. She couldn't have been out for too long because the dim lamplights still glowed eerily above her.

Not wanting to move, try, or face her reality, Lin relaxed her tense limbs and sighed, shivering from the cold. She watched the streams of fog from her steady breathing appear then fade away as she recalled what happened earlier. Why did they target her? Did they know that she was the Chief of Police? Were they planning this all along? Or was she just an unlucky citizen who was the victim of another mugging? With her right hand, Lin felt her pockets then brought her arm down again in disbelief; she was mugged. Lin felt angry, and almost offended that they did not know who she was. They had to be very lucky criminals to catch Lin on an off night where she wore none of her gear and decided to take the alternate route home.

Knowing that she had to get back to the island to bandage her wounds, she scowled and forced herself to get on her feet. Squinting from the pain, she hobbled to the edge of the boardwalk and slid down the rocks, falling forward with a thud into the dirt and sand near the water's edge. Lin groaned; she couldn't take much more physical abuse this evening from others or from her own stupidity. She crawled to the oddly shaped boulder and bent it into the ground below, uplifting the long rock bridge.

Never before realizing just how long of a distance it was to walk, Lin gazed over at the island pondering her options. She could stumble across and risk falling into the freezing water. Judging by the severity of the gash in her side, however, she decided that going on foot might kill her faster. The only other thing that she could think of was to bend the bridge into rubble behind her to propel forward; that way she would only need to move her arms and it would be more comfortable. This could destroy the bridge, but Lin was in no position now to get sentimental about her mother's old craft project.

Lin cringed then lowered herself carefully to sit on the base of the structure. Pressing her bare palms on the freezing stone, she inhaled deeply then dug her fingers down, rumbling the earth beneath her. As she slowly raised her arms the rock crumbled into small pieces and rose up under and behind her. Her hands trembled; tense with the power of the earth at her fingertips, she closed her eyes then pushed her arms back, launching a fast wave of crushed earth forward. Her dark hair blew back and she squinted at the cold air as it dried the water leaking from her eyes uncomfortably onto her cheeks. She continued a motion with her arms circling forward and around, and focused intently on it to distract her from the freezing spray of the sea that chilled her to the bone.

Once Lin neared the bank of the island, she slowed the monstrous wave of earth down to a calm roll and gently pushed herself onto the island. As she took to her feet, she felt her limbs failing her; she leaned on a large boulder to steady herself, then gazed for a moment at the destruction of the long trail of jagged rocks and gravel with a hint of grief. She shook off that feeling again quickly as she felt the pain from her injury swell up again. Lin sank the bridge so no one could even try to follow, then turned and looked up at the island, then hobbled quietly all the way up to Tenzin's quarters; there was no use in waking up the entire place.

"Tenz—zin?" she called quietly shivering profusely as she neared his chambers, then entered the dark room where they slept. She couldn't see and the only sound was gentle snoring coming from a lump on the bed. "Tenzin!" She said again, with more force. "Wake up!" She leaned on the wall for support, feeling as if she might pass out any second from the blood loss.

He stirred and the snoring stopped.

"Lin?" Tenzin asked sleepily "What kept you?"

Through heavy breaths and shivers she said "Q—Quick, get some bandages. I've been attacked." She slid down the wall in an effort not to have to stand anymore, and rested for a moment on the floor.

"Wh—What?!" Tenzin stumbled out of bed and turned on the gas lamps, squinting from the brightness. When his eyes came into focus all he could see was blood. "Lin! What—Who did—How did you—Are you alright?" He stammered, realizing that last one was a stupid question.

"Just—get me into bed." She snapped.

He leaned down and picked her up, noting that her light weight meant that she was not wearing her uniform. As he laid her on top of the bed, she started feeling more light headed and frantic than before.

"You're as cold as ice." He remarked as he brushed her skin.

"Get the—the gauze. Quick!"

He hurried to the cabinet on the other side of the room and pulled out some of the first-aid materials, then returned to her side. As he pulled back her coat it caused a ripping sensation from the blood that dried the fabric to her wound. Lin screamed in pain.

"Ah! What is wrong with you?!"

"Sorry—sorry... What—who did this?" Tenzin asked, and then started fussing with the gauze to try and stop the bleeding.

"Ow! I don't—eugh—don't know; they were masked. They—they were benders. – I think they were all men."

"What could they possibly want?"

"What do you think? Ah… They took my money and my identification."

She grabbed the gauze from him and pressed it hard onto the gash.

"S—Stop it. I'm fine."

"You most certainly are not!"

Lin rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm getting my mother." He said and stood to leave.

"No Tenzin. There is no need to worry Katara."

"Nonsense! She can heal you and then this whole mess will be over."

Before she could say "I'm fine" another time, he had already rushed out of the room and down the hall.

Tenzin ran through the outside halls of his family's living quarters to find and awake his mother. When he arrived at her room, he was surprised to discover that the lights were still on.

"Mother?" He called softly and peeked through her open door.

Katara sat on a chair at a wooden desk, as opposed to sleeping on the bed that was much too large for only one person. She wore blue and white night robes, but was not nearly asleep, as she was sitting up and writing what looked like a long letter. She turned to him, her face etched with the lines of age, her hair graying in strands, and a look of serenity.

"Yes Tenzin? My goodness, why are you up so late?"

"I could ask you the same question."

She turned back to her desk. "Oh, I'm just answering a few letters. Someone has to keep in touch."

Tenzin felt a pang of sadness; Katara was never the same after her husband, Avatar Aang died.

"Mother, I need you to come with me."

"Why, dear?" She asked sweetly.

"Lin's been attacked."

"Oh! Why didn't you tell me that in the first place!?" She scolded, and then crossed to the trunk on the other side of the room where she kept her healing kits. She pulled one out and together they rushed out into the cold.

"Mother, you must put something on. You'll freeze!" He said grabbing her arm.

"I think I can manage, son. I've been through much worse."

Lin heard running. Of course Tenzin had to cause such a disturbance over her. He and Katara entered the room and rushed to the bedside.

"Oh, dear, what have they done to you?" She said solemnly.

"How did you know that—" Tenzin began, but was cut off.

"What? Do you think she did this to herself?" Katara retaliated as she set up her equipment.

Even though her teeth were still chattering, Lin exchanged an amused glance with Tenzin, who was not too pleased with Lin's lack of urgency.

"My—mhh—thought's exactly. I'm fine, mom, really." She said trying to mask her shivering and discomfort.

Katara ripped the gauze that Lin had been holding to her side.

"AAAHH!" Lin yelled, throwing her head back.

"Fine." Katara scoffed as she bent a stream of water from her pack. "So like your mother."

"No—don't! Please!" Lin said as the water neared her abdomen. She winced at the initial sting when the water touched her skin, but almost immediately felt relief. She exhaled for a long time and relaxed her tense muscles, as a warm, comforting sensation pulsed into her body.

"Better?" Katara asked in a calm tone.

Lin nodded a little "Thank you." She closed her eyes feeling a strange combination of gaining her strength back, and also having all of the energy drained from her body at the same time. Now that all of the adrenaline was gone, she was left exhausted.

Katara smiled modestly and spoke to Tenzin, but kept her eyes on her work.

"Her flesh is severed, and it's deep. She has lost a good amount of blood, but she definitely got to us in time. She'll recover."

Lin opened her eyes just enough to look him in the eyes.

"Told you." She grumbled.

Tenzin shook his head and sat next to her on the bed, taking her hand. "Thank goodness, you're all right."

Katara pulled the blob of water out of Lin's torso, cleaning the blood off of her clothes and skin then waved it back into a pouch. She pulled some clean water out of another pack and moved up to Lin's forehead.

"What are you treating now?" Tenzin asked, furrowing his brow.

"Why don't you tell us, sweetie. What happened?" Katara asked in her old, soothing voice.

Lin caught Tenzin's pained look and sighed, not wanting to talk about the attack at all.

"The earth-bender knocked me out." She said flatly.

"With what?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe, a rock!" She explained, annoyed at his tendency to ask stupid questions when he was under pressure.

"Alright, you two. Cut it out." Katara interjected and retracted the water into her pack. "She needs to rest. Stay in bed, and we'll do another session tomorrow. They can manage one day without you, Miss Chief of Police."

Lin smiled with gratitude. "Thanks again."

Katara nodded and turned to leave. "I suppose I'll finish writing my letters. Zuko is still in the colonies, you know. It's a wonder when we hear from him nowadays."

Lin smiled.

"I'll walk you back." Tenzin insisted and stood, gingerly placing Lin's hand on the bed.

"No, no. Don't be silly. Stay here and care for your girlfriend. Honestly, son. You forget that I grew up in the Southern Water Tribe. These winters are nothing in comparison. Goodnight." She said as she left.

They were silent for a few moments. Lin adjusted her head and shoulders to be supported better by the pillows. She cocked her head to the side and studied his expression with a calm face.

"She's doing fine you know. I don't see why you worry so much."

He sighed and his eyes drooped sadly.

"After the loss of my father, she hasn't been the same."

"She can take care of herself. Honestly, she hasn't been acting very different from when he was alive."

"What?"

"I know that you're still mourning, but it has been a few years now and it might be time to start letting go."

Tenzin thought for a moment, and then changed his train of thought.

"Tonight is about you, not me. You have to give me every detail of what happened earlier."

Lin averted her half-closed eyes and forced herself to sit up.

"I'd rather not." She said, her voice restrained by the tightness in her side.

Impatient again with the way she was handling the situation, he said "We must find the men who did this to you and put them to justice."

"Tenzin— I will find the men who did this. Just give me some time." She started pulling off her over-shirt, but was too weak to move that way, so she fell back feeling embarrassed. Tenzin helped her, and pulled it over her head.

"Do you not understand how serious this is? You could have been—"

"I know." She said cutting him off, as she kicked off her shoes and lay back down.

He sighed, knowing that his previous point didn't matter to her.  
"In the mean time, I do not want you walking home alone at night unless you have protection. You need to be more careful... I will send the acolytes to pick you up at the harbor if—"

"I do not need you to watch over me. I can protect myself. Those cowards just caught me on an off night is all." She said bitterly.

"I will arrange for the council to put this incident as our top priority this week."

"No, Tenzin. I want the press to stay out of this." She thought, seeing the possible headline in the paper: Newly appointed Chief of Police Lin Beifong was attacked and mugged yesterday by three mystery criminals. Is she really the right person for the job? Can a woman who can't even protect herself, protect the citizens of Republic City? Will this incident become her top priority? And finally, will she ever live up to her mother's greatness?

"Then we must alert the force!"

"I AM THE FORCE!" she snapped, feeling the pressure of her role. "I am the _Chief_ _of Police_. This is my city now, and none of these rotten criminals are going to evade me."

"Alright… I'm sorry…" Tenzin watched her silently, knowing how much she was going through; no one had ever been able to get the best of Lin, except for maybe her mother… and she couldn't afford having a smear on her perfect record of fine police work thus far. "Are—are you going to be okay?"

"I've been healed, haven't I?"

"That's not what I mean."

She stared up at the ceiling, wanting to break down and give up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had to be strong now; not only for herself, but for her city and her fellow metal-benders at work. Her mother never faltered, never lost a battle, and most certainly never gave up. Lin felt a momentary lapse of sadness at the thought of how much she missed her mom and the strength she gave her, but remembered what Toph would have said. "Toughen up! So, you lost one fight, BIG DEAL! It's not the end of the world. What you need to do now is collect yourself and find the creeps who did this to you, then kick some serious butt. Show no fear and don't let anyone phase you; that—is your most valuable weapon." Lin exhaled for a long time. "Not to mention, you can see with your feet and you're the daughter of the greatest earth-bender of all time, just saying." Lin glanced up at Tenzin then sighed quietly.

"Yeah, I'll be okay…"

Tenzin smiled half-heartedly and gently caressed her cheek while pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "I love you." He said softly.

"I love you too." She said and closed her eyes.


	2. Work

Lin 2

After her incident, Lin began focusing every ounce of her energy on her work, finally reaching her full potential as Chief of Police. Her success rate skyrocketed, and due to an increase in interest, more and more metal-benders were recruited to join the force. With more resources, she invented a more efficient addition to their uniforms which allowed the metal cables they used to be stored on spools on their backs, allowing for longer range usage. Chief Beifong was finally getting the respect and praise she deserved for all of the countless hours she put into keeping Republic City safe.

Though these achievements were fulfilling and dramatically boosted her pride and confidence levels, Lin's personal life was quickly deteriorating. Tenzin became a second thought as opposed to a first priority, which greatly unnerved him. Tenzin was a very patient man, however, his soft personality was no match for this new Lin; the abrasive attitude and her strength of mind and body were always prevalent, but this work-a-holic who couldn't separate work from home became a definite issue. She hardly spent time on the island anymore, arguing that it was "easier to stay close" to her duties if she slept most nights in the city.

Mental-health and physical well-being became another aspect of her life which drastically declined during this time. Lin continued to bottle up her "unused" emotions and began not speaking of her feelings to anyone, not even Tenzin. The worst problem though consisted of her horrendous lack of sleep; ever since she got away that night, a good night's sleep was nearly impossible to come by. She would spend most sleepless hours pouring over case files at her desk and when she finally did doze off, she would awake in the morning with severe aches and pains attributed to the hunched position in which she slept.

Considering this kind of thing had become a common occurrence, Lin of course kept it to herself, taking precautions to prevent her officers from knowing about these personal choices. She did not want her reputation clouded, or to have those who followed her to look at her with pity or discontent. All she wanted was to be looked up to and respected as a leader; there was no need for any of her co-workers to create a different opinion than that of the strong, extraordinarily talented woman that they thought they knew.

This day was just like any other…It was nine o clock in the morning, this warm day of summer seeping in through every window, contaminating any ounce of comfort with its humidity.

This time of year was especially uncomfortable for the metal-bending officers, whose uniforms trapped the heat, making work an almost unbearable task. In addition to the hot uniform problem, they also had the responsibility of oiling their uniforms; due to the moisture in the air, proper maintenance must be conducted in order for their suits not to rust. Everyone was more irritable than usual and tried much harder to get out of work as quickly as possible. Everyone seemed to complain; all except for their chief who, as usual, kept her comments to herself.

On this particularly muggy morning, the four-blade fan on the high ceiling of Lin's office slowly circled overhead, hardly creating a breeze. She lay with her head and arms on her desk, crinkling the papers strewn across it. She sat in the wooden guest seat instead of her usual chair, her back facing the double door entrance, asleep… Lin had only drifted off a few hours before while she was sorting case files into separate areas of expertise, and unfortunately she had forgotten to lock her doors.

Lieutenant Saikhan, who was her officer in training to become captain, was tasked each morning to take the new files from the Chief's desk, and distribute them to each department. He also carried a letter to deliver. He knocked, but when the familiar voice did not respond, he took out his keys. He was definitely surprised when he went to open the doors to find that they were already unlocked. He didn't think much about it until he walked inside and saw his Chief asleep at her desk. He hesitated by the door, slightly jarred and unsure of what he should do. He contemplated leaving, but he did not want her to get angry at him later for not doing his job.

"Chief?" he inquired politely, just loud enough for her to hear.

Lin's body jolted, startled by his presence, and she slowly lifted her head. She realized almost immediately who it was, then felt the vulnerability of someone breaking into an area of her life that she wished no one to ever know about, the boundary that separated work and home.

"Sorry." He said quickly, not wanting to get on her bad side.

"Mmmmh…" She moaned for a moment feeling the straining effects of being locked in the same position for a few hours; she cradled her head in her hands and massaged her temples. As she became more and more aware of his presence and the fact that he didn't just leave, she knew that there was no going back to the ignorance that she preferred for her officers to know her in. She sighed, not wanting to care about his view of her anymore.

"Yes Lieutenant? She said, attempting to mask her groggy voice.

"Sorry to disturb you, Chief. I can come back" He said professionally.

Lin rolled her eyes; there was no point in trying to pretend it didn't happen.

"Just spit it out, Saikhan." She continued with aggravation.

"Y—Yes Chief..." He stammered, and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment from his pocket that was stamped with the Council's wax seal. "I have received a message for you."

"From?"

"Councilman Tenzin. He requested that you read it immediately."

Lin nodded, stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyelids.

"Very well, Begin."

Saikhan hesitated, he was given explicit instructions that the message was personal and that he should only leave it for her.

"I was instructed not to—"

"Do you work for the Council?" She asked in a displeased and droning tone.

"No…"

"Who do you work for?"

"You, Chief..." He responded feeling foolish for speaking against her.

"Now that we are clear, could you read the letter, please?" She continued, trying to be patient.

"Yes ma'am."

"Excuse me?"

"Chief" He said quickly, correcting himself. "I meant—Chief…" He sighed and after a few moments, reluctantly proceeded to open the letter and read.

"Dear Lin, before you read this, please have the officer who is reading it to you kindly leave the room." Saikhan paused, eagerly waiting for her to free him from this awkward situation.

"Continue." She said, knowing that she would regret it, but couldn't find the energy to care.

"I've been trying to speak with you for some time now, however, our paths never seem to cross. You have not visited me on the island for weeks, and my nerves seem to be getting the better of me."

Lin softened upon hearing these words; she knew she had been distant.

"I would like for you to come home tonight and have dinner with me. I've missed you, Lin."

Lin shut her eyes tightly and exhaled slowly through her nose.

"When I think about—"

"That's enough." She said and stood, her uniform creaking as each portion of her body moved. She cracked her neck, rolling it from side to side, and then popped her knuckles.

Saikhan rolled up the letter, but couldn't stop staring at the chief; he had no idea that her life was spread so thin, and was even more shocked at the fact that she and Councilman Tenzin were a serious item. What else did he not know about her? For the first time since he began his training with her, he felt bad for his chief.

"Lin…" He said softly, and then realized right away that he was overstepping his boundaries. Lin became still, her hands folded neatly behind her back

"You will not address me so informally _Lieutenant_." She said sharply, asserting her authority in an attempt to gain any bit of dignity that slipped away.

"My apologies, Chief Beifong."

For the first time during this entire conversation, she turned.

"Have you cross-examined the suspects for case file 60-113?" She said showing no emotion; all business.

"Yes. We have a lead." Saikhan responded.

"Good." Pleased with the news, Lin nodded and the thought of promotion entered her mind again; Saikhan was indeed the hardest working officer beneath her. She walked forward to leave her office, but stopped just short of the door next to Saikhan.

"Speak of this to no one." She said seriously, making eye contact with him.

He nodded understanding her reasoning. Lin turned back toward the door and went to open it, lightening her tone.

"I would prefer for my personal life to remain, though not completely, _my_ business."

Saikhan smiled. "Yes Chief. You have my word."


	3. Sleep

Lin 3

The lack of sleep was beginning to affect Lin in a very negative way. She was more irate, less patient, and she resurfaced a tendency to snap angrily at anyone who was not doing exactly what she wanted.

"Why hasn't this paperwork been filed yet, June?" Lin asked one of the Academy students as she passed the circulation desk on the investigation floor and picked up a thick folder.

"Well, I—I just got back from lunch, but—" The young woman stammered, avoiding eye contact and gathering the papers together.

"Lunch?" Lin scoffed "Do you think that I have an hour of free time to get _lunch_?"

"I didn't think tha—"

"Of course you didn't." She said very matter-of-fact tone and slammed the folder back onto the desk, leaning down to June's level. "So maybe you should get your sorry butt out of that chair and finish the paperwork that I asked you to file YESTERDAY!" She shouted, causing everyone in the busy office to quiet down and watch them.

Lin straightened up and looked around the room, furrowing her brow as she noticed all of the confused stares.

"What are you all looking at?!" She shouted again, making everyone jump. "Get back to work. I'll be in my office." She stormed into her office room, slamming the double doors loudly behind her. She felt like she needed to scream, or better yet, destroy something. In a fit of rage, she ripped the top off one of her metal filing cabinets and chucked it across the room, hitting the wall on the other side of the room. Lin stood, breathing heavily as the adrenaline rapidly wore off. Her shoulders slumped down, her expression changing from tense and angry to soft and defeated. She brought her left hand to her head and rubbed her green eyes which stung from tiredness.

This was ridiculous; Lin Beifong was not a child, but for some reason, her state of being caused her to throw juvenile temper tantrums. She was only embarrassing herself…Lin sighed and turned around, locking her doors. She slowly made her way across the room to a thin, black couch that sat in the corner. She bent off her uniform and gently placed it into a dresser-like keep, feeling much better wearing her white tank top and airy pants in this heat. Sitting on the couch, Lin felt pressure and worry; what if Saikhan was spreading the word about her overnight stays? Though it was a relatively crime free week, what if something happened while she slept and they needed her to lead them? For a brief moment, she considered sucking it up and dealing with it like she always did, but then decided to surrender to her body instead. She lay down, sticking her bag of clothes under her head for support, and closed her eyes.


	4. Change in Perspective

Lin 4

Lin's eyes fluttered open; she had been asleep for at least two hours. She lay with one hand resting on her stomach, the other behind her head, and her right leg dangling off the couch, her foot touching the floor. She took a big gulp of air as she stretched her limbs, then sighed slacking again.

She sat up, and stretched her arms above her head, popping her shoulders. She smiled, feeling much more refreshed than she had in a few days.

A knock at her doors caused her to whip her head around. Quickly, she turned her back to her dresser and bent her uniform on, then stood, her hands folded behind her back.

"Come in." She said.

The officer pushed on the doors, but they did not budge.

Lin had forgotten she locked them. "Just a moment." She said though a sigh and undid each of her seven locks, then opened one of the doors.

She walked back to her desk and sat behind it on her chair.

"Yes Saikhan, what is it?" She asked unenthusiastically as she pretended to return to her case files.

"I only came to gather your input, Chief, on these." He held out two evidence bags with various items. She eyed them and then skeptically glanced at his face; he was lying. Confused as to what his motivations were for the interruption, she passed it off annoyed.

"Give them to the Captain when he returns in a few days. I do not have time to—"

"Never mind, Chief. I'll take care of it." He began to leave the room, but Lin thought for a moment and had a change of heart; she had dismissed him too quickly. After how she treated him earlier, she figured she should speak with him.

"Wait." She said and half stood behind her desk.

"Cheif?"

"Please sit, but close the door first."

Saikhan closed the door and quietly made his way over to her desk, sitting in the guest chair. Lin sat after him, and leaned forward on her elbows.

"Now, what is it you really want to discuss with me?"

"I have a release that you need to sign." He lied and leaned down, riffling through the folder he placed on the floor.

"Saikhan…" She said softly, implying that she knew there was something else. "If you need something, lying to your authority is not the way to get it. "

"I know. I apologize."

"So, come on, what is this really about?" She asked leaning back.

Saikhan hesitated, unsure if he should pursue his gut feeling. "It's— it's you, Chief."

"Me?" Lin was taken aback. "What about me?"

"S—some of us are worried—" he paused, not understanding the odd look she was giving him. "that you have been working too hard."

Lin couldn't believe that he had approached her at work to talk about personal matters, yet at the same time, this blatant observation of her caused her to return the thoughts of her recent struggles. In spite of herself, she broke eye contact and couldn't think of a quick way to respond. He was right. She had been working hard; too hard. It was affecting her, her officers, and her love-life.

"I came to offer my support and any assistance you may need to—" He began, but was stopped by a raise of her hand.

"I do not need to be watched over like a child." She said sternly, but not angrily. "I appreciate your concern, however it is my business and my jurisdiction, not yours or anyone else's for that matter."

"With all due respect, Chief, I do not believe that this is true. We are a team, and as a team we need to look out for each other and work to accommodate those who need some help, be it work related or—" He carefully said the next word, hoping that she would not take this as another overstep of his boundaries. "personal."

Lin was quiet for a moment to gather her thoughts.

"And with all due respect, Lieutenant, I prefer to keep my work separate from my personal issues."

"If I may… This morning was not a representation of separation between the two."

Lin pursed her lips and tensed, knowing this was true. She wasn't used to letting anyone in, however Saikhan had caught her off guard and she, as he said, had not kept him wholly out of it. If anything, as a courtesy to him she would hear what he had to say.

"Alright, you have my attention." She said, giving in.

"Chief," He began.

"It's Lin…" She said stopping him with an unenthusiastic tone. "This is not work related, nor do I expect you to treat it as such."

"Lin, I have the utmost respect for you. I have been working beneath you for some time now and I must say that your work is inspiring to us all."

Lin crossed her arms putting her defenses up, knowing that she should be flattered, but couldn't help feeling like she was being put-down.

"Recently—it has become more—" He changed his train of thought, realizing that telling his boss that she was difficult to work with might not be the best way to go about this. "It seems that work has been serving as more of a distraction, and the passion you have for your work that we admire so much has been waning away."

"I am not comfortable with this. You are really crossing the line here, and I am very busy, so please resume your duties."

"I am not trying to belittle you. I just figured I would offer my opinion as your colleague—and friend."

Lin sighed and cleared her throat. She wasn't sure why she was confiding in him; maybe she was just angry and needed to vent or maybe she couldn't hold it in anymore and had to talk to someone, even if that someone was an officer. Whatever the reason, she couldn't find a justification for why she continued.

"It is useless for me to bore you with some sob-story about how my life is not as easy as everyone thinks it is." She cleared her throat again, not wanting to get too specific or emotional. "You have to understand that it has been a rough few years for me. Even the blind could see that. I won't pretend that I am using this place to distract myself from the pains of death, grieving, defeat, and regret. Even my personal relationships have grown frail, but—" She paused looking him in the eye. "Let me make this very clear…I _do not_ want anyone, _especially_ one of you, pitying, worrying or feeling sorry for me. I am a woman of duty and my heart is here, in the police force, and unfortunately my methods of coping have not expressed this fact, but – I love my job. Do not let my contradictory recent behavior tarnish your opinion of me, because, contrary to popular belief, I do care about the way I am perceived."

"I know." Saikhan said and smiled. "I understand."

In his smile and obvious understanding, she sensed that she could trust him, but couldn't help but be wary.

"Oh, wipe that smile off your face. Don't think that because you got to me means that you'll get any special treatment." She said, assuring the fact that this bonding would in no way effect their working relationship.

"I did not expect any."

"What then did you expect?"

"Honestly, I expected you to kick me out…Or fire me." He said jokingly, but actually meant every single word.

"Why would I fire you?" She asked, almost amused by this comment.

Lin shook her head, but let a small smile peek through her hard exterior. "You know, you're a good detective and a wonderful officer. One of the best I've trained. But you still have much to learn."

He listened to her intently, wondering where she was going with this.

"I understand that you want to become Captain. It is a bold title, and one that we do not simply give out willy-nilly." She studied him, feeling a different, more open connection to him than she had before. "If you want, we can meet _outside_ of work and discuss some of your options. I do not want to be accused of playing favorites around here."

"Really?" He asked surprised, but gained that same strange look she gave him earlier in their conversation. "I—I mean, thank you."

"Alright! Well, now that we are done being all touchy-feely, Lieutenant, we can get back to business."

"Right." He said and stood. "Thank you for your time, Chief."

"I'll be out shortly. Also, please fetch the councilman's letter for me." That small smile reappeared on her face. "I never finished reading it."

"Of course." He said and exited her office.

Lin sat and thought about what just happened. In her head, she was disappointed in herself for breaking these barriers and the standard that she set for herself. On one hand, some of the issues she shared could be exploited, such as her relationship with Tenzin. Lin and Tenzin had worked very hard to keep their relationship a secret from the press, and now another man, who she did not yet trust on a personal level, had the information in the palm of his hand. Briefly, she worried about this fact, but then moved on to the better thought that she could be gaining a friend, a confidant. She was never one to openly talk about her feelings, which is a main reason why she preferred to be around men and not women. Being friends with Saikhan could prove to be very beneficial for her, not to mention, he was the only friend she had at the time that she did not know since childhood.

Lin stood and walked to the exit, regretting lashing out for no reason earlier in the day. As she emerged into the office space, everyone fell silent, and the only sounds were papers shifting and people moving. She glanced around the room, noticing that no one dared to make eye-contact with her. She never grasped it before, but at this moment she finally comprehended the fear she instilled in the people under her care, and revisited the times she unfairly yelled and made demands. She then came to an important decision.

Saikhan approached her and handed her the letter.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and then inhaled in order to fill her lungs with enough air to address the entire room. "Alright everyone, listen up!"

Each individual stopped their work and stared, hoping she was not angry.

"I have realized that I have been a little harsh lately, and I sincerely apologize to those of you who I personally victimized." She said as she glanced over to June, the Academy student. "So, in an effort to make it up to you, I've reserved a room at Yang's tonight for dinner — My treat."

With surprise, everyone cheered and smiled, confused, but happy nonetheless. Lin smiled modestly, and then held her palm up, silencing them again.

"Also, for the rest of today and tomorrow I will be taking the day off."

The entire room reacted; Lin hadn't taken a day off in at least a year.

"Meaning instead of being here for 18 hours, I might only stay for three." She joked and most of the room laughed; of course Lin would be the kind of person to work on her day off.

"In my absence, and in the absence of our Captain, Lieutenant Saikhan will be in charge and you will report all matters to him."

Saikhan was surprised; he held back a smile and his swelling pride and stood a little taller; the Chief had never put him in charge before.

"Have a good time tonight— See you all tomorrow." She finished and dismissed herself to her office after receiving some thanks.

She grabbed her bag of clothes and belongings and stuffed Tenzin's letter under the flap. As she glanced around the boxy room cluttered with all matters of police business, she entertained the idea of being able to relax for more than five hours and smiled. The last thing she did before she left the room was grab two folders from her desk, leaving the doors open.

"You up to the challenge?" She asked as she approached Saikhan.

"I won't let you down, Chief." He said and saluted.

"Here," she said and handed him the folders. "You know what to do. As you know, the city has been rather calm lately, so you should not have any problems, however, if an issue arises, please don't hesitate to send a message. I'll check in tomorrow."

"Not necessary."

Lin raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.

"Alright… See you tomorrow." Saikhan continued after seeing her expression.

At that, Lin Beifong left the building, not looking back as she fantasized about how liberating the next day and a half would be.


	5. Soon

Lin 5

It was humid and hot in the city, but on Air Temple Island in the distance, the warm breeze was wafting through the trees and dispersing the relaxing salty spray of the sea over all of its grounds. After she left the station with a conviction to take a day and a half off, Lin, despite the constraints of her uniform, felt freer than she had in a long time. As she walked toward the boardwalk, she reflected on the time that had passed since the last time she visited the island for more than a few hours. She tried to lie to herself, but there was no denying that she couldn't even remember one single time in the last year.

It was so different when they were children; the island felt like a trap she was stuck in so she wouldn't get into trouble while her mother was working. It was an amazing place to play and her friends lived there, but as a kid, she always wanted to be near her mother at the station. Now, Lin couldn't comprehend why she felt that way. The island was a sanctuary; a secluded section of the city that was free from criminals, satomobile exhaust, and most evidently, the heat.

Lin gazed out at the bay, eyeing one of the island's boats gradually being sailed toward the docks; she figured she would catch a ride with the acolytes. Rationalizing that it would take a few minutes for the ferry to arrive, she sat on a nearby shady bench and pulled Tenzin's letter out from her bag, starting to read where she left off. _When I think about you I am forced to remember the distance that has been put between us. Perhaps seeing you face to face will rectify my worries, and my rambling… Anyhow, the acolytes will be commuting heavily today. As usual, they would be more than willing to invite you on board. I shall see you tonight if you take me up on my offer. With Love, Tenzin. _

Lin smiled with one side of her mouth then looked out again, and if only for a moment, the girl hidden deep within that confident, independent woman resurfaced. She genuinely missed Tenzin; his voice, the conversations they would have, the way it felt when he held her… She fancied a few memories from a time when she was not consumed by work, then frowned at the thought of how overwhelming it had become.

She looked over at the intersection of the boardwalk where her accident took place, noticing the new planks which fixed the parts that were dismantled by rocks and fire after she fought those three mystery criminals. It had been over a year since that night, and because she stubbornly kept the incident to herself, she searched for months, but found no good leads. Lin sighed impatiently, pushing this idea from her mind as the acolytes tied the boat up at the dock.

Usually their visits to shore were relatively short, only docking for fifteen minutes at the most to ferry acolytes and friends to and from the island. Lin stood and started toward a group of younger acolytes waiting by the water, figuring that she should take a seat sooner rather than later. She forced an out of character smile, playing out the awkward situation of recognizing people, but not knowing their names as she waited quietly alongside them for the ropes to be tied off. A tall man in his mid to late forties jumped down from the deck to greet his passengers.

"All aboard." He called, and then smiled as he noticed Lin. "Well if it isn't our esteemed Chief of Police. I hear that's what they're calling you these days."

"Lee, it's wonderful to see you." She said with a smile as she approached him. It was nice to be able to reacquaint herself with someone she knew.

"We haven't seen you around the island as much lately. I assume your new title speaks for itself."

"Oh yes… I've been working hard, as ever." She responded following him up the ramp. "What about you? I haven't seen you since we bumped into each other at the market a few months ago."

"Oh, the usual, you know; tending to the garden, meditating, running the ferry. Someone has to keep these young acolytes in line." He chuckled.

"I'm sure." She said. And sat on a bench next to the ramp where he stood.

"Well, Tenzin told us you might need a lift, but you're a bit earlier than we expected." He said checking his pocket-watch.

"I decided to take the afternoon off for once."

Genuinely impressed, Lee nodded vigorously. "Lin Beifong you continue to surprise me." He was quiet for a moment as he looked off to see if anyone else was arriving to catch them. "Well, I'd better attend to my duties. We should be departing in a few minutes; this was a pick-up only commute."

"Alright. Well, it's nice to see a familiar face." She said flashing a side smile at him.

"Likewise." He said and waved as he ran off to resume his work.

Once he was out of sight, she decided to move to the other side of the deck where she could lean over the side and watch the island draw near. She set her bag down by her feet and rested her elbows on the wooden rail, then gazed across the smooth waters of the bay. The sun hid behind a group of fluffy white clouds, temporarily shielding its heat as the wind blew the hair away from her face. Lin inhaled deeply closing her eyes, thinking of Tenzin and the evening ahead of her; soon…


	6. Tenzin

Lin 6

The late-afternoon sunlight weaved between the clouds and rested atop the pinnacles of the distant mountains behind Republic City.

As Lin set foot on Air Temple Island, she glanced up the steps wondering where Tenzin could be. She started up to the center of the island where the house for the air-bending lineage lived, but was stalled by Lee's voice behind her.

"Need an escort?" He asked as he appeared beside her.

"Not particularly" She chuckled. "But I suppose I could use the company."

They continued climbing the stairs, slowly nearing the center of the island.

"So, where do you think Tenzin's hiding at this hour?"

"Well, right now he is in the meditation pavilion with a few of the women who aren't able to participate with the group in the daytime." He said carefully, glancing at her sideways.

"Hmm…" Lin hummed, disliking the fact that Tenzin was spending more one on one time with other women than she thought. "Good to know." She responded, storing that idea in the back of her mind. "Where are you off to?"

"Dinner. I have to be back in an hour to 'captain' the ship, so to speak, so I need to eat quickly. Sometimes it feels like I'm on that boat more than I am on dry land."

"You should take a break then." She said dishing out the advice she had finally taken herself.

"Nah… You know how the head honcho can be. He wants everything to go a certain way and he is very particular about who does what."

"I know, but you have been here for a long time now. I'm sure you qualify for some vacation time."

"An air nomad's work is never done. And I'm all talk, you know. I really do love running the ship." He said as they arrived in front of Tenzin's quarters. "Well, this is where I leave you. It's been a pleasure as always."

"What a gentleman. I shall pass my regards onto your supervisor." She joked and turned to enter the house.

He smiled genuinely, but his eyes suddenly gazed at her with pity, knowing the true nature of Tenzin's invitation. "I forgot to ask. How are you two doing, if you don't mind the intrusion?"

She furrowed her brow and looked back at him, taken aback by this question. "Fine—as far as I know. Why?"

"You are a magnificent woman; remind him of that..." He said in a melancholic tone his smile fading, and then waved as he took off for the dining hall.

"Wait! What is that supposed to m—"

Before she could finish asking her question, he was gone, her swirling thoughts incomplete. What did he mean by "remind him of that"? And why did he ask how their relationship was doing? Granted, they had been on the rocks for a while; fighting, not seeing each-other, and not being intimate... But there was never an inclination that anything was going awry, at least, not that she thought. Lin walked through the indoor hall into Tenzin's room and threw her bag onto the floor, then turned around to go find him.

As she made her way to the meditation pavilion, she contemplated the current status of their relationship. They had been friends for so long that they knew everything about each-other and how they conducted themselves. If something was wrong, Lin would be able to pick up on it right away, so it was only fair to make assumptions after she encountered him. Still, something about what Lee said clawed at her psyche, and deeply unsettled her confidence in what now seemed to feel like a deteriorating relationship.

She shook it off, determined to actually relax for a short while before the stress piled up again. As she reached the break in the path, she looked up the hill where Tenzin and three ladies sat peacefully under the roof of the pavilion. Her worries worsened as she neared them, becoming increasingly aware that they were all young, no older than 25, and very pretty women. Again, she let this thought disappear, hoping to convince herself that nothing was out of the ordinary.

Then, when she stopped in front of the steps, she froze; all of her problems drifted away and Tenzin was the only thing that mattered. She smiled softly and leaned on one of the wooden posts holding up the structure with her arms crossed lazily in front of her stomach. She gazed at him, noting his calm appearance, and the way he breathed when he was deep in meditation.

Lin cleared her throat in an effort to get him to open his eyes, knowing that he could get annoyed at the interruption. There was something so amusing about pushing his buttons.

Sure enough, Tenzin's eyes shot open with disgust, but when he realized who made the sound, an involuntary expression of surprise and happiness struck his face. She waved with one hand and gestured to herself almost as if to prove that she had really shown up.

Not breaking eye-contact with her, he stood with a swift uplift of air that rustled the clothes and hair of the three girls that sat facing him. "Alright ladies, that's enough for today." He said in his calm tone.

All three stood and bowed then went to leave, but one in particular hung back and said something to Tenzin. The woman lightly gripped Tenzin's arm, leaning in to whisper in his ear. Lin only caught the end of it, hearing her finish with "Just think about it, alright?" He nodded and smiled half-heartedly at her, then said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

The woman turned and walked down the path, shooting Lin a dirty look as she passed her. Lin shifted her eyes and watched the acolyte walk away, daring her to come back and touch Tenzin's arm again.

"Lin," He said approaching her, then stood awkwardly in front of her, not sure of what to say.

"Hello Tenzin." She said, bringing her focus back to him again. They stood in silence for a few moments in unsure mind states of who should speak first. Lin finally dropped her arms and took a step toward him. "I read your letter."

"I hoped you would." Tenzin watched her, waiting for her to say something more.

Lin gazed into his eyes, and in a moment of anxiety and longing, she launched herself forward, landing in a tight embrace. Tenzin huffed as the weight of her uniform knocked the wind out of him. Somehow, this broke the tension, and they laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said through muffled laughter.

"It's quite alright." He chuckled, and brushed the hair out of her face. "I—I've missed you." He said, holding her above the waist.

"I know. You said that in your letter." She said in a very matter-of-fact tone, implying his repetitious phrases.

"What?"

"You just like to repeat yourself."

"Well—_you_ should take it as a compliment. I _have_ missed you."

"Redundancy is not flattering, it's frustrating." She said annoyed, parting from him then began walking away to change clothes.

"You could at least act like you are happy to see me." He defensively responded. "I—I've barely seen you in months."

"Relax airhead," She said, already rolling her eyes at his presumptuous thought processes. "I came to spend time with you, not argue about our busy schedules, or your _pining _affection for me." She joked and smiled slyly as she walked down the path coaxing him to follow.

Tenzin stood there stumped and annoyed. "Airhead?" He mumbled. Lin hadn't called him that in years; she would usually use equally childish nicknames such as Twinkletoes Junior or Lady Fingers, to which she attributed to the way his slender hands made gestures. Why was Lin being so difficult so soon into the night? Tenzin frowned, reflecting on Lin's unintentional hurtful banter, knowing that Pema, the acolyte from before, would never test his masculinity like she did.

Once Lin realized that he was not following, her smile faded and she returned to her more serious attitude.

"Are you coming?"

"I uh—yes… yes, I'll be there in a moment." He said, looking away from her.

"Come on, I haven't hurt your feelings, have I?" She half-joked, mocking the way he acted when he was upset.

"No." He said, truly meaning the word. Tenzin wanted so much to enjoy their time together, but something about her made it very…challenging. "I wanted to drink in the sunset before the night takes it from us." He lied, "I know you don't particularly care about that sort of thing."

"You're right." She said waving him off and starting down the hill. "Don't be long. You wanted to see _me_, not the sun." She called, and then disappeared behind some trees.

Tenzin turned toward the sunset and pondered on his recent feelings toward his relationship and how conflicted he was about making a decision. He loved Lin his entire life and still she was a force to be reckoned with even in the present as they wavered and grew apart. But then, he recalled the eye-opening conversation he had a few days earlier with the young and beautiful Pema…

He and Pema became good friends in the absence of Lin's presence on the island. He could always have a good conversation with the girl because, despite her youth, she was very wise and mature. On this day, like any other, they met at the pavilion to meditate one-on-one, and then talk afterward about life, philosophy, and other subjects that he very much enjoyed. They sat quietly on the steps, calm from a long meditation, until Pema spoke.

"Well, that was nice. I'm getting better, I think." She said in her bubbly voice.

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Do you ever meditate on anything in particular? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh yes." He responded knowingly. "I find it easier to understand how to fix problems once I clear my head of all other useless information. I quite often solve my issues with the council in this way."

"Oh." She said, looking off, as if embarrassed to tell him what she was wanting to hear.

Tenzin read her expression and continued softly. "I also use that practice if I want to encompass myself with a particular positive feeling or emotion."

Pema smiled and glanced back at him, clearly happy with the response.

"For example, after the death of my father, I spent much time meditating about reincarnation and positive energy." He sighed and looked away, remembering how difficult that time had been. "It—lessened the pain, though nothing can prepare one to deal with that kind of grief."

She nodded; her understanding smile and comforting eyes meeting his gaze.

"I wish I could have known your father. From the way you speak of him, and from the history books, he certainly sounds like an amazing man."

"He was." Tenzin said and paused for a moment. "Thankfully, I have moved past it. I am to meet the new young Avatar in a few weeks."

"Yes, I remember you told me that you were going to visit the Southern Water Tribe. How is your mother, by the way?"

"She's well, thanks for asking." He said, a silence following. Tenzin was never one to be a great social conversationalist, so as he thought of something to say, awkwardness hung in the air. It somehow didn't feel awkward with Pema; they understood each other, embracing quiet reflection every once in a while. The same was not true of Lin; she always had something to say, be it the right time or not, and though there was never a dull moment, Tenzin never figured how a break from the fray could be a bad thing.

"What is it you have been meditating about?" Tenzin asked, the thought popping into his head.

Pema blushed. "Just—the future. I know that we are taught to live in the present, but I have been recently thinking about what I want to—have in my life." She said, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Tenzin noticed that look and felt nervous energy in his stomach. He hadn't felt that since the last time he and Lin spent a weekend together.

"Oh?" He responded, hoping that his face didn't flush. "And what—um…what is—uh…" Tenzin stumbled and cleared his throat, shaking off his assumptions. "What is it that you want?"

She gazed at him, looking as if she wanted to say something more, but settled on, "Family. I want to have a family more than anything." She said smiling sheepishly.

Tenzin smiled back. "Me too... I have had a family on my mind for quite some time."

Pema's face lit up. "Really? How many children do you want to have?"

"Two in the least." He looked at her sideways. "What about you?"

"Three or four, I imagine." She said and giggled.

Tenzin's smile faded as he looked off at the scenery thinking about how he wished that Lin had that attitude.

"Are you alright?" She asked after a moment, noticing the expression on his face.

"Yes..." He lied.

After a beat, Pema continued. "She—doesn't want children, does she?"

Tenzin bowed his head, eyeing the earth beneath his feet.

"No… She doesn't…"

"Why?" Pema asked innocently.

Tenzin sighed. "Her work is—very important to her…"

They fell silent again as Tenzin lost himself in thought.

Pema gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. She saw his sadness, wondering how Lin could be so insensitive to a man as perfect as Tenzin. Heat rose in her face; this was it. She couldn't take it anymore.

"You don't deserve this. You are so caring and wonderful, and you have such a big heart. I just can't stand watching you spend your life with someone who doesn't treat you how you should be treated."

Tenzin was taken aback. Pema had never mentioned Lin before that afternoon, or her stance on their relationship for that matter.

"I—I—"

"Tenzin," She continued, her face stricken with a conflicted expression. "I—I have something to tell you. I've been trying to say it for a while now, but I can never bring myself to do it." She looked down and calmed herself then looked him straight in the eyes. "I really—care about you. Probably more than I should… We have been spending so much time getting to know each other and I have come to realize what an amazing person you are. I—I love you."

Tenzin's eyes widened and thoughts swirled in his mind. He felt a rush of elation fill his chest and his true feelings for Pema surfaced. He tried not to think about it, but every time they spoke after their afternoon meditation, he felt a strange, yet familiar sensation attempt to overcome him. He knew he had a, for lack of a better word, crush on her, but never thought to act on it because it seemed to be a frivolous idea. But in this moment, as he looked into her beautiful eyes, he could see more clearly than he had in ages the possibility of a happy future. Lin never spoke of the future, never planned anything in advance, and certainly did not uphold his ideals, causing him to second-guess and become unsure about everything. Pema was different; she had the same goals, the same views, and most importantly, she was there, right in front of him. That's more than he could think to be important right in this moment.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way, and I know you are seeing someone else, but I had to tell you how I feel.—How I've been feeling…" She said and took his hand.

Tenzin's heart raced as their eyes locked into one gaze. He felt himself giving way to her gravity, and then closing his eyes as they reached their closest point, but then he remembered Lin, and as quickly as it flooded him, the magic flushed away. He couldn't do this to her, no matter how distant they had become.

He pulled away.

"I'm sorry." He said, breaking her trance. "I care about you. More than _I_ should, so I cannot do this right—right now…" He said, hoping that she could read his real wants beyond his words. "It's—its Lin. I—I can't…"

Pema nodded, feeling foolish, and then laughed it off.

"I understand. I was being forward…" She said and stood to leave.

Tenzin lifted himself quickly to his feet and followed her. "Pema," He said cupping the side of her face. "Please… It's not you. I just need to sort this out on my own before I make any decisions."

She exhaled for a long time, and then gently removed his hand from her cheek, holding it as she spoke. "If you need to talk…I'm here for you."

Before he could say anything more, she left, taking her loving hand and his perfect future with her.

Now, two days later, Tenzin was more confused than ever. He invited Lin to visit him to see if anything could change, because she was first and foremost the woman he was in love with. Well, maybe not _in_ love with anymore… He thought, trying to convince himself to take a stance.

Twilight crept over the island, and he made his way up to his house where his longtime girlfriend was to be waiting. She emerged from his room and walked down to the front courtyard wearing her white tank top, comfortable dark cargo pants and no shoes; typical outside of work, ordinary Lin.

He stopped once he saw her and smiled; he had almost forgotten what she looked like without her metal uniform on.

She rested her hands on her hips and nodded back with a smirk, urging him to greet her. Tenzin took a deep breath and obliged, walking over to where she stood.

Lin leaned in and kissed him for the first time in a while, feeling that familiar spark that was always present.

Meanwhile, Tenzin felt awful; he cared deeply for Lin, but couldn't help having unfaithful thoughts about another woman. He and Lin had a history, a friendship, yet Pema still wouldn't leave his mind. He pulled away.

"Not in public, Lin—you know that…" He said, covering his emotions.

The astute earthbender furrowed her brow ever so slightly in confusion; she knew that he did not agree with public displays of affection, but no one was around and they hadn't kissed in weeks. She surely thought he would make an exception.

"Fine." She said and took a few steps back. "Happy?"

"Come, I have prepared dinner for the two of us" He gestured toward the dining room. "Are you hungry?"

"I suppose." She replied, not making an effort to hide her frustration.

She followed her strange-acting boyfriend into the kitchen and stood in the doorway as he readied the dishes.

"So, what is it you've wanted to speak with me about?" She asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"I, uh… Can—can it wait till later?"

Lin was already suspicious, but Tenzin's stammering always gave him away.

"It can…" She replied, implying that she would rather get it out of the way. "You actually won't believe this but—I took off work tomorrow. I'm yours for the day."

Surprised, Tenzin turned to face her. "Really?" Maybe there was hope for change; she actually made an effort to commit some time to him. That had to count for something…

"Well, don't act so surprised." She said spitefully, crossing her arms, as they moved into the dining room.

"I just did not expect our esteemed chief of police to let go of the reigns." He responded, jokingly as he placed the serving dishes onto the table. "You're very controlling, Lin."

"Shut up."

Tenzin set down an air-nomad specialty desert of which the recipe was passed down to him by his father who acquired it from Monk Gyatso; air cakes.

"I made your favorite." He said as he swirled the gooey custard center with air-bending, then glanced at her sideways.

She cracked a reluctant smile and took a seat.

Dinner began with catching up on events and stories that the other may have missed; though, there was not much to say in the way of work because the council and the police force worked simultaneously on the same issues. They each left out significant blocks in their lives such as Lin's lack of sufficient sleep, and Tenzin's affinity with Pema, but managed to have a cordial conversation about current times nonetheless. They were being friendly and not argumentative which meant that neither of them yet attempted to address the only topics of which most of their verbal fights derived; their relationship.

Tenzin was the first to venture a shot, slipping in a remark about how he hoped that their future child would not inherit the Beifong knack for nicknames.

Catching this, Lin changed the subject.

"So, what do want to ask me? You've successfully avoided it so far." She said then drank in the last bit of vegetable broth from her bowl of noodles.

"Well—" He was going to begin, but paused to collect his thoughts and figure out how to say it. "I've been, uh, thinking lately about something that I have wanted for a long time now… Hopefully you are at the point where—considering the length of our relationship—and the—the time we took to think about this, furthermore—"

"Go on, spit it out." She said, having a strong feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Well—I love you... and I was wondering if you have given any more thought to—"

"If this is about kids, Tenzin, I've told you that I am not ready to start a family." She said, with an angry undertone, feeling like this one the hundredth time she uttered this same sentence, getting less and less patient each time.

Tenzin's heart dropped, and thought up a lie to avoid confrontation.

"No, no! I merely wanted to discuss your—your work schedule."

"What about it?"

"Well, uh, well…" He stammered and scooped out the cake onto two plates. "Let us begin with the fact that you never visit the island anymore. You have achieved so much in the last year, so don't you think it is time to take a step back?"

"Of course not!" Lin scoffed, taking a small plate of cake from his hand. "If anything, I need to step up my game. After all, if I want to keep my job away from that cockamamie Captain that your precious council hired, I need to keep my records high."

"Alright, I agree with you to that extent, but you should definitely consider taking more time off."

Lin sighed, and spoke slowly, reluctantly letting the words pass her lips. "I will try to take more time off to visit you…even if it means spending less time patrolling my city for misfits and no-good criminals." She took a bite, eyeing him curiously.

"That's all I ask."

After dinner, they took a walk around the temple in the dark. The evening air was cool and still, a nice relief from the heat of the mid-summer days. The light of the full moon glistened on the water of the bay, creating a calm and serene feeling.

They ended their walk, taking a seat side by side at the edge of the sparring circle, where the yin and yang mural was painted on the ground.

Tenzin looked out at the grand statue of his father protruding from the water in the distance. He exhaled sadly.

Lin glanced at him, and then followed his gaze out to Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

"Alright, Tenzin… What's on your mind?"

Tenzin sighed and bowed his head. "I'm sure you've read about the return of the avatar in the papers."

"Yes. A young girl in the Southern Water Tribe."

"Well, I did not mention it to you yet, but I am taking a trip in a few weeks to meet the new avatar for the first time."

"What?" She asked, understanding how he must be feeling.

"To tell the truth, I am—afraid of meeting her…"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing…—I just—I miss him terribly, Lin…"

They fell silent for a moment, knowing that there was no need to say anything. She moved her hand against the stone and brushed the side of his fingers, offering for him to take it if he wanted to. He placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed it tightly, to which she responded in the same manner. Lin looked at him sadly, feeling the sting of his pain.

She glanced down at the black and white mural below her and smiled modestly.

"Do you remember when we were kids? We used to spar here all the time."

"How could I forget?" He said, fondly recalling the memory.

"You were a sore loser, you know." She teased, smiling.

"I won a few times." He chuckled.

"By sheer luck."

Tenzin smiled. "If you're trying to make me feel better—" He looked at her pretty face and honest smile. "It's working."

"Well there's plenty more where that came from. Did you know that on the day you tested for your airbending tattoos, I let you win?" She said sarcastically.

"Right..." Tenzin glared at her, knowing it was a joke, then looked off again.

"I miss those days. No responsibilities, all the time in the world. That was the life…" She said softly.

"There's no use dwelling on the past, Lin." He said shaking his head.

"Then maybe you should take your own advice." Lin said, referring back to their earlier conversation.

Tenzin did not respond; he was lost in thought.

"Come on, let's go to bed." Lin said and stood, pulling him up with her.

They walked slowly back to the house, Tenzin stopping them in front of the steps.

"Thank you, Lin."

She smiled. "Don't mention it."

Lin climbed into Tenzin's bed that night, her light night robes, hugging her body. She lay down on her back and waited for Tenzin to join her. He finally arrived and turned out the light, then slid into bed, a safe distance away from her.

Lin stared at the ceiling for a long time, not particularly ready to fall asleep. She looked beside her at Tenzin, his eyes closed, face calm, but despite how peaceful her looked, she decided to disrupt him.

Lin rolled onto her side and placed her hand on his chest, wriggling her fingers to get in between the fabric of his night shirt and his skin. Tenzin opened his eyes and gazed at her as she stroked his bare chest. He gulped, but Lin took that as a sign of intrigue. She propped herself up with her elbow and pushed her body against his, her hanging hair shaping her angular face. Tenzin let shallow breaths escape his lips, but kept completely still.

Lin smiled and lowered her face close to his, then kissed him softly, reigniting the flame that seemed to be burnt out for months. As she started pulling back, he placed his hand on the back of her neck, catching her with a kiss of his own, wanting to savor this moment for all of its worth. After a few minutes, Lin figured it would be safe to proceed; she inhaled deeply through her nose and let her right hand trail down his body.

Tenzin wrapped his arms around her, his hands holding her waist and the curve in her back, as he pulled her closer in a moment of weakness. As Lin continued, Tenzin opened his eyes, feeling his mind finally return to his body. He began to think about the night they had; remembering all of their wonderful conversations, and friendly banter, but then recalled all of the reasons for his doubt. She was abrasive, challenging, hard-headed, and not in tune with him anymore. She did not understand the situation he was in, did not hold the same beliefs, and most importantly, did not want to start a family... Pema wanted to start a family… Guilt rushed through his being; he needed more time to think.

Tenzin jerked away from her, breathing heavily.

"Something wrong?" She asked, nearly frustrated that he stopped her.

"I—" He watched her expression change to disappointment, and he couldn't bear to look at her anymore. "—goodnight…" He said and rolled way from her.

Lin was left, leaning still on her elbow; her mouth gaped with surprise and disgust. She couldn't _believe_ him.

"Auch." She fell back onto the bed and crossed her arms. Why was Tenzin acting this way all of a sudden? They had a nice dinner, a good night; why couldn't they be intimate?

She scooted as far away from him as possible, not wanting to even brush his leg. She closed her eyes and reluctantly fell asleep.


	7. Alone

Lin 7

Lin stirred and awoke the next morning laying on her right side, all of the sheet pulled and draped over her body. Just waking up, she had forgotten about being angry with Tenzin before they fell asleep, so she rolled to the other side of the bed with her sleepy eyes still closed and reached for him. Patting nothing but an empty mattress, she opened her eyes, confirming his absence.

"Mhph…" She groaned, and lifted her upper body upright off the bed, pushing her palms into her eye sockets to invigorate her tired face. Though she slept through the night, it was not particularly restful. She rolled her head around, cracking the tense areas of her neck before looking at the clock for the time. Half past eleven!? She couldn't remember the last time she slept in that late, and felt like her time was already being wasted. She made a mental note to reprimand Tenzin later for not waking her up.

She got out of bed and got ready, hoping to salvage the second half of the day. She still had to check on the station to make sure Saikhan was performing his duties to her standard, and she made a commitment to stay on the island for most of the day. After changing clothes and washing up, she set out to find Tenzin so they could talk about their plans.

Lin walked out onto the patio in front of the house and stood in the sun; it was balmy and muggy, a warm breeze teasing her hair. She looked around, shifting her glance from the common dining area to the tall temple, but did not see his arrow-tattooed head anywhere. She stepped forward and closed her eyes, just as her mother told her to do when she was a child still learning the technique. She lunged into her bending stance, slamming her right foot onto the ground to feel the vibrations of the earth. She scanned the island in a matter of seconds, sensing every last tree and ant searching for Tenzin. Finally "seeing" him in the courtyard of the women's dormitories, she stood upright, wondering what he was doing over there, and decided to go see for herself.

As she rounded the corner near the arced entrance of the Ladies courtyard, she glanced sideways over the wall only to see her boyfriend sitting calmly by himself next to the koi pond. She smiled and almost called to him, but silenced herself as she saw the young acolyte from the previous day bring him a cold class of lychee juice and sit next to him.

Lin crouched behind the wall just peeking over the top and watched intently, her eyebrow furrowing as her suspicions worsened. They were talking, just talking… She told herself as she watched the man she loved get more and more comfortable with a younger, more vibrant woman than she. He was smiling and laughing, more than he had with Lin the night before, but that was no problem; she probably just stimulated his sense of humor… The woman looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was there and Lin ducked, figuring that she would be seen spying on them if the girl glanced in her direction.

After a few seconds, Lin peeked over again, her eyes widening in anger; the acolyte with one hand pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and, placing the other on top of Tenzin's. Lin stared at the airbender, hoping to see some sort of negative reaction, but instead watched him stare at their touching hands and then look up at her with a sincere smile.

Lin gasped and backed away, not sure of what to do or how to feel. Her breath quickened; in that moment, realizations crashed into Lin's brain; this is why Tenzin was acting so strange, and this is why they couldn't be intimate, or feel like a couple anymore. This acolyte was the awkwardness that hung in the air between them; she was the knifing bane of Lin's existence; but most of all, she was the force pulling Lin and Tenzin away from each other.

At first, sadness crept into her heart, her chest heavy from what she just came to understand. She shook her head and looked to them again, hoping that she'd made a mistake, but sure enough, there they were…holding hands like they were already a regular pair. She closed her eyes tightly, bowing her head slightly as emotion flooded her body. It was a hand touch; only a hand touch… But Lin knew what that meant… They probably have done much more. How could something so simple cause her this much grief?

Then, all at once, rage pulsed through her veins, the soul of a mother saber-tooth moose-lion taking over her body. She opened her eyes and stood tall, the severe picture of fury painted across her face, then stepped forward, ready to meet her match.

Once she stepped through the archway though, the halting pang of sadness struck her as she saw them again.

Pema turned her head and caught Lin's eye; they stared at each other for mere seconds, but somehow it felt like an eternity. Pema's face was calm, but the eyes she stared into were cross, hurt, and painstakingly severe. Knowing that her actions as of late were out of line, Pema averted her eyes and let go of Tenzin's hand. She had no business in trying to destroy someone else's life for her own selfish purposes. Nevertheless, she did not technically do anything and acted as innocent as could be.

Lin walked forward, her anger subsiding into attitude. Seeing her approach them, Tenzin quickly lifted his body with a swirl of air and stood. She stopped a safe distance away and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"What exactly is going on here?" Lin asked, glaring straight at Tenzin, ignoring Pema's innocent demeanor that just seemed to piss her off even more.

"Wha—what do you mean?" He stammered defensively.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." She hissed, her eyes ripping him apart like daggers.

Pema sat there awkwardly, wishing she did not have to be a part of this. This argument was inevitable, but Pema knew that it was not her fault.

"I—I don't know what you're—" He began, but was cut off by Lin.

"Come. We'll discuss this _alone_." She growled, shooting a painful look at Pema, and then turned for him to follow.

"Good luck." Pema said softly to Tenzin just before he started after her. Lin's face reddened with heat and her body tensed up; she felt the vibrations of the earth with her feet and waited for Pema to make another step. In that moment, a rock jutted out from nowhere and Pema tripped, falling hard onto the unforgiving stone courtyard floor.

Tenzin turned quickly, rushing to her side. "Goodness! Are you alright?" He asked and helped her up.

"I'm fine, _really_. Nothing to worry about." She said with a smile, playing it off like there was no issue whatsoever.

"Tenzin! I said, _come_." Lin shouted, gritting her teeth together.

Reluctantly, he left Pema alone and followed Lin back to his house, experiencing what was possibly the longest minute of his life before finally arriving in his room.

"Do not call me away like that. I am not your pet poodle-monkey." He said as she closed the door.

"I don't think that you are in any position to test my patience right now, Tenzin." She said, turning toward him and crossing her arms again. There was a silence.

"I do not know what you're talking about." He said carefully, testing the waters he was about to tread.

She squinted her eyes, trying to convince herself to keep a level head. "Don't play dumb with me. I know something is going on with you and that adolescent acolyte you spend all of your time with"

"Pema is 23, but that is beside the point… There is nothing 'going on' between the two of us." He responded and pointed at her. "How dare you make such an accusation?!"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday? I know what I saw." She said, squinting her eyes.

"I assure you, I—"

"You don't have to be formal with me. This is not a council meeting." She snapped and looked away.

Tenzin sighed and shook his head, continuing with his previous thought. "I have done nothing wrong."

Lin shook her head and looked back at him, studying his expression. She took a step toward him and exhaled into her next sentence.

"I am going to ask you a question and I want you to answer truthfully." She said calmly, deciding to give him a chance to defend himself.

"Ask away..." He responded, giving up on his initial claiming ignorance idea.

"Do you have feelings for this woman?" She asked quickly, not wanting to even speak the words.

"Of course not!" Tenzin replied immediately.

"Don't lie to me, Tenzin…" She said in a low voice, feeling his quickening heartbeat through the vibrations of the earth.

"This is ridiculous! I have been nothing but faithful to you in all of the years we have been together. How could you think that I am gallivanting around with another woman? I would never—"

"You have not answered my question." She said in the same low, disappointed tone.

"We are only friends. We speak on occasion and I enjoy her company." He said, his voice reaching to a higher pitch than normal.

"After all these years, how have you not learned that I can tell when you're lying?" She said, her voice gaining more volume and momentum.

"I—I—" He stammered, but had nothing defensive to say.

"Do you have feelings for her?" She asked again loudly, articulating each word.

Tenzin opened his mouth to speak, but somehow his words fell short and he just ended up staring at the floorboards.

"Spirits…" She muttered under her breath and shook her head, turning her back to him.

"Lin…" He said, and reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Don't '_Lin_' me." She said irately and yanked away.

"I didn't plan for this to happen, Lin. It did not start out the way you think it did."

"You don't know what I think." She spat, turning around quickly with her fist raised as if she were about to punch his shoulder. Tenzin dared not to move; he wasn't afraid of her. When this didn't solicit a reaction she sighed with frustration and loosened her tightly bound fist, her arm falling to her side. "How long has this been going on anyway?"

"A few months."

"Months!?" She shouted, unable to believe how long he had been deceiving her.

"I—I never acted on any of my—my feelings—" He tried to explain, but couldn't seem to get through one sentence without an interruption.

"It doesn't matter!" She yelled silencing his defenses. Lin felt a lump rising in her throat and stinging under her eyes, but swallowed and blinked them away as to not show her emotions. "How—how could you do this…?"

"We—Pema and I—we—we were friends—at first. When she told me that she loved me, it made me think abou—" He started, but immediately realized from Lin's expression that he should NOT have said that.

"She WHAT?!" Lin immediately lost track of her sadness as it turned into rage.

"No—NOTHING—Forget I said anything…" He said, desperately trying to retrieve that last bit of information that slipped through his lips.

She stormed out of the room and down the outdoor hallway.

"Lin! Lin, where are you going?!" He shouted and followed her outside, feeling like he was losing control of the situation, as if he had any before.

"To give a certain lady a piece of my _mind_!" She yelled back and punched her right palm with her fist.

"Lin! Come back here this instant!" He yelled angrily, stopping in front of his bedroom door and pointed at his feet, a gust of wind ruffling his robes.

"I am 38 years old! How many times do I have to remind you that you are not in charge of me anymore? I may be the youngest, but I am no longer a child!" She fumed and started back toward him. "If you are looking for a _child_ to boss around, try your new girlfriend!" She said getting dangerously close to his face.

With her shoulder she shoved past him into his room again. Tenzin calmed himself and then exhaled so he could collect his thoughts.

"Lin, just let me explain." He said as he re-entered the room and watched her stuff extra clothes into her bag.

Exasperated, Lin just grunted in disgust, not wanting to hear his excuses anymore.

"We have been growing apart for a while now, and I cannot help but feel that we are wasting our time clinging on to something that has long since diminished. We took two separate paths in life and we want different things. I think that you always knew deep down that we would have to have this conversation eventually."

"No." She said, favoring denial, rather than accepting that he was right.

"You are never here, Lin… You've changed; changed to the point that the woman standing before me is hardly recognizable. I know I work most days as well, but I could not even imagine keeping up a schedule like yours. The Lin I knew would know how to sort out her priorities!"

"My priorities are invested in my duty to the city and you of all people should understand that. I'm still the same person. I just have an important position to adhere to." She said as she moved in front of the dresser where her uniform lay on the shelf. She put her arms out to her side then moved them quickly forward, the metal uniform wrapping into a fitted position around her body.  
"So do I, but your job is exactly the driving force that pulled us apart."

"My JOB is the driving force? This _Pema_ is the problem. She's the one who started all of this!"

"I—I want a family. I want children. This has always been my path and you know it, so why—"

"I knew this was about kids… Did you ever think that maybe I didn't want that to be my life? It is not right for you to force me into your juvenile ultimatums!"

"Juvenile?—" He scoffed, and then returned to his previous point, as to not stray too far from their conversation. "This is not about whom is right…" He said, getting impatient with her responses. "This is our future we're talking about."

"I know, but—"

"Why hang on? Why can't we let go and pursue our own goals?" He continued, his volume rising.

_Because I love you!_ She screamed in her head, but didn't have the confidence to admit it. Tenzin was her oldest and closest friend; how could he just forget about that, forget about their past and throw away all that they had for a woman he barely knew?

"I guess there is no reason why not—is there…?" She stated spitefully, feeling their long-term friendship slip through her fingers.

Tenzin felt the sting of this statement, given their long history.

Lin took a step back in her mind and shook off her extra emotional feeling, then lowered her voice. "I will give you one chance to do the right thing here, but if you don't then I don't want to see you anymore."She continued softly, bracing herself for what was bound to come next.

Tenzin was quiet, mustering up the courage to say what he had been thinking about saying for months.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

"I'm—I'm sorry…" He said shaking his head. "I value our friendship and I hope that someday we will move past it, but I cannot throw away my future just so we can be together now."

"But—" She began, her face suddenly stricken with the sad reality of her situation.

"I'm sorry…"

Lin did not know what to do. This was it; there was nothing left to say. No matter what she could think of to say, Tenzin still wouldn't change his mind…

"I can't stop you, can I?" She asked, her low tone of voice wavering, matching the sadness in her watery eyes.

Tenzin looked at her, seeing the pain he caused, feeling his inflicted hurt, knowing that this was the end of their friendship.

"Lin—I—"

Lin couldn't handle hearing his excuses or his blabbering anymore. Her attempt to hide and push down all extroverted indications of devastation morphed into a bitter, abrasive attitude as she readied herself to leave.

"Forget it; you're such a child… Just do what you want—as always."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, his bushy eyebrows rising angrily.

"Your life is just turning out perfectly isn't it? You've got the job you always wanted, the perfect girl who will bear your perfect babies, and what am I left with? You never had to worry about accomplishing any of your goals. But what more can I expect from a spoiled, self-involved man-child like you?" She hissed, her insult penetrating his composure.

"Well—Well, I can say the same about you!" He retorted and pointed at her again.

She smacked his hand out from in front of her face and stood tall. "No—Tenzin... I achieved what I wanted through discipline and hard work, unlike you, you pompous piece of work! _Pema's_ got her work cut out for her!" Lin began storming out again, but halted straight away when she heard him utter the most hurtful blow yet.

"At least I can admit that my success came from my family ties! You can't stand to admit it, but the only reason you are successful today is because of your mother!"

[*gasp*]

Lin stood silently for a moment and clenched her fists, energy building up inside of her until she couldn't handle the tension any longer. She whipped around and began speaking through gnashed teeth.

"My _mother_ made it very clear to me when I was young that the only way to succeed is through bitter work and perseverance. She passed on her job to me because, believe it or not, I am the best there is, and if you can't _handle_ that, than you can take your IGNORANT assumptions and SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ARROW because I AM THROUGH _ARGUING_ WITH _YOU_!" Enraged, Lin stomped through the outside walkway again, this time descending down the steps.

"Lin! Come back! We aren't finished here!" He yelled, mad that she was being her typical challenging self.  
"Are you still infatuated with another woman?" She asked while she continued walking forward.

He stared at her and his furrowed eyebrows softened, but he did not speak.

"That's what I thought. Have a nice life. Make sure to send me a family photo during the holidays…"

"But…" He uttered, attempting to keep up with her.

"I do not want to hear from you unless we are doing official business, and even then _refrain_. Do not write me. Do not visit. Just—" In spite of herself she took one more look at him, her eyes again on the verge of what felt like tears. "…leave me be…" She broke into a run, holding in any once of emotion by building up her adrenalin. She pushed past a few acolytes and sprinted as fast as she could down all of those godforsaken stairs, hurrying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"LIN!" He called and attempted to run after her. He stopped under the archway at the top of the main stairway up to the island, his chest heaving from breathlessness. He stood there and watched her, the woman he loved, run away, taking all of the happy memories, their friendship, and any semblance of normality with her.

As Lin reached the base of the island close to where the old bridge broken and underwater, resided, she leapt into the air, launching herself over the glassy water of the bay. As her body descended, with one swift motion, Lin scooped her hands down and forward, a pile of rubble breaking through the watery surface; when her feet made contact with the rock, she used earthbending to run by propelling it forward and controlling it from atop two moving piles. She carefully followed the path of the bridge, knowing that if she strayed too far on either side she could drown; Lin kept this thought and seriousness to replace the terrible feeling hiding deep inside her as she raced further and further away from the life she once knew.

Feeling a wrenching sadness in the pit of his stomach, Tenzin couldn't bring himself to try and follow. This was for the best. Even though the hurt would last for a while, they could finally move on… He watched her, the departure sounding like an endless roll of thunder as she faded into the distance until all at once the sound ceased and what was left of the bridge disappeared beneath her waves…

It was mid-day; the docks were bustling with fisherman, tradesman and other civilians spending time at the edge of the park. The loud rumbling of stone caused most of the people to look up as a figure raced toward them from the distance.

Lin was nearing the shore quickly riding atop her piles of gravely rocks, the boardwalk only yards away. With the momentum she gained, once she reached the end of the bridge she would have to jump. Not having her mind in gear for this plan of action, she got closer and closer to the edge of the port, then at the very last second as she readied herself to jump, someone yelled, "WATCH OUT", breaking what little concentration she had left and causing her to look to the left to find the source of the call. She jumped, not getting as much push from her piles as she had anticipated and flew through the air without control, covering her face with her arms in preparation for a rough landing until she fell and rolled onto the hard wooden planks of the boardwalk, finally resting facedown momentarily blacking out.

Lin groaned as she opened her eyes, struggling with throbbing pain in her head, elbows, knees and hip. People were rushing toward her shouting and running but they all looked like blurs and their voices sounded filtered and unclear. A woman raced to her side and rolled her onto her back, then felt her pulse. Her eyes darted around the forming crowd as her visual and auditory responses returned to normal, but was not pleased with what individuals were saying. "Is she alright?" "She just fell…" "I'm going for help!" "Who is she?" "She's on the metalbending police force." "Wait, that's Lin Beifong!" "The chief of police?" "What was she thinking?"

The woman lifted Lin's upper body off of the ground and held her up. "Are you alright?" she asked calmly.

Lin was disoriented and speechless; she waved off the woman and sat up on her own rubbing the sore spot where she hit her head. This just wasn't her day. She started to stand, grabbing onto the outstretched arm of the woman and a man who appeared at her side to help.

"Thank you." She muttered in their direction after they helped her to her feet. Lin looked at the crowd and cleared her throat, but did not want to address them. Everyone was looking at her—whispering… She felt embarrassed and worried about what they all thought of her now; after all, the one person that they are supposed to look to for safety just passed out from a mere fall. She felt like her strength in the last few years was being continuously tested and every time something of this nature happened, she became weaker. She did not want to face it; she wanted to be alone.

Without a word, Lin turned out toward the bay and stood as tall as she could as she gazed across the water at the distant Air Temple Island and the trail of broken rock and dirt she left behind. The nostalgic memories now seemed more dear to her than ever as she thought about all of the wonderful times she spent there; playing with Tenzin, Kya and Bumi in the courtyard when they were children, exploring the caves and outer walls of the island with Tenzin when their minds were mischievous and curious, taking her first sky bison ride with Tenzin when she was six, sparring and training with Tenzin and his father… Tenzin… He held a very large portion of her life and now that they broke up she couldn't help but feel sad that all of those memories meant nothing anymore…

She held her arms out in front of her and focused on the remnants of the bridge; it was time to destroy it for good. She did not want to be tempted with its possibilities anymore… Trembling from her power, she slowly lowered her hands and the bridge disappeared beneath the bay, flattening onto the ocean floor.

Letting Tenzin cross her mind again, she furrowed her brow angrily; he was the last person she wanted to think fondly about. She turned around suddenly and without making eye contact with any of the people, she walked past them into the park and made her way across town. She walked all the way from the docks to the station with the same fixed expression, angry and overwhelmed with more emotion than she could handle.

Lin entered the police station and hurried straight for the solace of her office, hoping to have as little interaction with others as possible. She nearly made it, rounding the corner of desks in the detective division; that is, until Saikhan caught sight of her. He was filing some papers at his desk across the room.

"Aw, come on chief—it's still early. Aren't you supposed to be resting up a bit?" He asked jokingly and looked over at her, not soliciting a response. When he glimpsed her face, he noticed how distraught and heated she looked and he immediately became worried.

"Chief?" He called as she reached her office, ignoring him. "Lin, Wait!" He said as she slammed her double doors closed.

Lin latched each of her locks frantically, not sure how much longer she could hold out. She backed away from the doors, dropping her bag in the middle of the room and barely made it to sit at her desk before her eyes began to cloud over. All at once everything that happened in the last hour rushed through her, causing her to feel more than she could bear. She felt it coming and there was nothing that she could do to stop herself. There was only one thing that would release her from this turmoil swirling around inside and it was happening, uncontrollable. She began to cry…

Lin rested her elbows on her metal desktop and buried her face in her hands. For the first time in years she let her emotional side take over and she felt incredibly weak… She made an effort to remain quiet because this thought incidentally made her cry harder as she gasped for breath between sobs. She did not want to CARE anymore, didn't want to hear any more comparisons between her and her mother, didn't want to be treated like she needed to be taken care of and spoken to like she was a child, didn't want to be strong and put herself out there time and time again for people who never cared about how hard she worked to keep them safe…

Tenzin… He betrayed her, but he was all she had left besides her officers at work. She couldn't wrap her mind around how inconsiderate he was to break off their relationship like that… It was unfair the way he waited until he fell for someone else instead of manning up and talking to her sooner about their problems. He should have told her the truth about how he had been feeling; Lin always spoke her mind, so why couldn't he? That's just how he operated; just as something got complicated, his simple minded brain forced him to cut and run instead of facing the issues head-on. How did she not see this coming…?

Lin took a broken deep breath and opened one of her desk drawers where she pulled out a white handkerchief. She leaned back in her chair wiping her nose and her eyes in an effort to stop her tears. She closed her eyes after a moment and focused on breathing, wanting to forget about all of this and push through like she always did. This seemed to significantly calm her down and put her back in control.

The silence was wonderful… She was free from the arguments and the haunting murmurs of the civilians at the boardwalk. As she inhaled, a knock at the door broke her meditation. She sighed and pressed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, state your business." She called out in her strongest voice.

"Lieutenant Saikhan, Chief. Permission to enter?"

Lin rolled her eyes and her body followed the same motion as she expressed her annoyance at him. Saikhan _never_ seemed to leave her alone!

"Uh…" She voiced under her breath as she stood, then pulled a mirror out from the same open desk drawer. She looked at herself and sneered; her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was red; obvious signs that she had been crying. She did not want him, any of her officers, to see her like that. "Can it wait?" She asked, putting the mirror away and blowing her nose quietly with the handkerchief.

"I'm afraid not, Chief."

"Um… Alright..." She quickly decided that she would keep her face preoccupied with files and paperwork. It was pretty normal for her not to look up when she was busy. She approached the door and unlocked it one latch at a time. It was only after she was on her way to the filing cabinet that she told him to come in. Saikhan entered carefully, unsure of whether or not he should ask if she was alright.

"I am very busy Lieutenant, so if you don't mind, please make this quick." She said in a low tone so her voice wouldn't waver and then sniffed as she flipped through folders in the cabinet.

"We uh—received a tip from about an incident down at the boardwalk." He began hesitantly. Lin's eyes widened; for the moment she had completely forgotten about the scene she caused. She returned to her desk with three folders in her hand and sat without looking up.

"Oh?"

"Y—yes…" He said, taking a few steps closer, but stopped as she raised her palm then lowered it again. "There seemed to be someone causing a commotion not too long ago at the docks and it's uh—protocol to uh—question everyone involved."  
"What are you getting at?" She asked impatiently.

"Witnesses identified—_you_ as the—"

"Yes, I am aware." She said, frustrated. "I was uh—in the pursuit of a waterbender who invaded Air Temple Island. I chased the perpetrator into the bay, but just as I was gaining on him near the shore, he disappeared. As I attempted to land on the boardwalk, I lost my footing…" Lin tried not to make lying a common occurrence, however, in the interest of her pride, she made an exception. She shook her head. "Quite embarrassing actually… I'm sure it will make a fantastic story in the paper tomorrow."

"You were in pursuit?" Saikhan asked skeptical.  
She sighed, "Yes..."

"Are you sure it was an invasion? Perhaps he was a visitor."

She really did not need this interrogation right now. "No, Saikhan."

"There were no accounts of another person in the bay."

Lin slammed her fist onto the metal surface of her desk, leaving a hand-sized dent. "Lieutenant, if you wish to disagree with me again, you can remove yourself from this division of the station and answer phones in the entrance hall instead. .Clear?"

"Yes, Chief. My apologies…"

Lin felt the emotion arising again; it seemed that any particular passion in this state of mind made her feel like crying.

"You may go now." She said, trying her hardest to mask her clouded voice as she fixed the dent.

He studied her for a few moments, noticing the crumpled kerchief and the controlled distortion on the face she was trying to hide. She looked so sad, so heartbroken.

Lin looked up out of reflex, her eyes watering a little, then immediately looked down again.

"What happened out there?" He asked, genuinely worried about her.

"That—is my—my business. Thank you—for your concern." She said sniffing, barely able to hold it together to finish her sentence.

"Should I file the report?" He asked, knowing the answer.

Lin just shook her head no. There was no point in keeping up a lie to save her pride; it was already gone…

"Okay, then it's as good as gone." He said softly, not wanting to upset her anymore. "Could I inquire—as a friend?"

"No…" She said, almost at a whisper. "Now is not a good time."

He nodded and walked toward the door. "If you ever need a confidant, you can trust me. That's what partners do."

She lifted her head again and nodded.

"Thank you..." She said truly appreciating the sentiment.

He bowed his head out of respect and left just as a fresh tear rolled down her cheek.


End file.
